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They’d all been working for about five est sound A slow but constant … clopping He looked up just in time to see a horse come around the curve of the stadium a few hundred feet away, a police officer perched on the aniainst the sidewalk, an eerie, echoing noise that felt out of time and place with the hustle and bustle of the city

Michael felt a little sting of alarh the cop showed no interest in theotten so advanced that virtual reality was hardly distinguishable from real life and machines could hover in the air like alien spaceships Yet some police evidently still walked around on horses, as if they were sheriffs looking for outlaws He re-or-other-grandpa

"Guys," Michael whispered "We ht want to pick up the pace There’s a cop over there On a horse"

Bryson snickered at that but didn’t look up Neither did Sarah They orking feverishly, which Michael hoped was a good sign

"Just saying," he murmured He returned his attention to his own NetScreen, but he felt like anything he did would be a waste--his friends were already way ahead of hiether that Michael couldn’t tell which was first A loud clank sounded just as the parking lot treular section nearby separated froround, groaning sounds of ht, hoping desperately he’d see her again to thank her in person

The cop yelled so in the distance, and just as Michael looked over at hi in on his horse The sound of the horse’s unfire

"Quick!" Sarah yelled, on her feet "Now’s our chance!"

Michael was already on thethere before either of his friends He ju section of asphalt and turned around, watching as the cop approached Bryson and Sarah joined him; then they dropped down to their hands and knees and crawled toward the edge of the platforli It was dark below--pitch-black--but unless the VNS had tricked him with their re-creation in Lifeblood Deep, there was a second parking garage down there

Michael got on his stos over the side; then he held his breath and pushed off, landing just a few feet below on smooth concrete He heard Sarah land nearby, and then Bryson landed on top of hiot back to their feet The light froh now to see that there was no sign of people

The secret entrance halted with an echoing screech of h the air, then iain It had only come halfway down

"Did you do that?" Michael asked Sarah

Before she could answer, a man’s voice boo down

"What the hell are you kids doing? Get back up here!" He pulled out a gun, but the horse shied away at the sound of groaning machinery The cop worked at the reins to steady the ani section of parking lot

"Stop this thing!" the cop yelled This ti on? Are you …" His words faded and a look of recognition came over his face He knew He kneho they were